The present invention relates to disposable garments and methods and apparatus for making such garments.
The prior art teaches a wide variety of disposable diaper configurations, in which the finished diaper is a flat panel having adhesive tabs or the like, permitting the joinder of one end of the panel to the other, to fit the diaper panel from the infant's back, under the crotch and to the front of the waist. Examples of such arrangements are shown in the following U.S. Pat. Nos.: 3,081,772 to Brooks et al; 3,417,751 to Murdoch; 4,892,528 to Suzuki et al; and 5,064,489 to Ujimoto et al.
There have also been developed in the prior art a variation of finished disposable training pants for infants, in which the finished product has opposing side seams joining the front and back panels of the garment assembly. Examples of these arrangements are shown in the following U.S. Pat. Nos.: 4,743,239 to Cole; 4,743,241 to Igaue et al; 4,646,362 to Heran et al; 4,938,757 to Van Gompel et al; and 5,055,103 to Nomura et al; and 5,064,421 to Tracy.
The aforementioned U.S. Pat. No. 4,743,241 to Igaue et al discloses an elastic sheet adhered across the panel adjacent to the opposing leg openings, which serves as a liquid barrier for body fluids leaking from the center absorbent pad. A similar arrangement is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,417,751 to Murdoch.
A variety of techniques have been employed in the past in creating seams for disposable garments. For example, it is known to utilize an ultrasonic welder which comes into point contact with the machine web, in order to form such seams.